When you buy a condo, it seems a lot simpler than buying a house. But in many ways, it isn't.

Both are a complicated set of systems and appliances in a structure that is better if it is sound.

With a house, getting an inspection is a no-brainer. And you know what? It's a no-brainer with a condo, too. Sure, the condo association is the one to maintain the structure and the common elements, but you are a part of that condo association. You need to know what you're getting into.

The inspector can look over the unit itself, checking the appliances, the heating and air conditioning unit, the wiring and plumbing, and tell you all kinds of stuff you need to know about the building itself.

He'll look at the masonry and the roof. If there is a boiler room in the basement, he'll check that out.

Your contract to buy your new place will include an opportunity receive and review the building's "resale package", with information about the budget, among other things. If the inspector finds, say a roof that will need replacement in the near future, that may not be a bad thing if there is money in the reserve funds to fix it? If the boiler is dying of old age, can the pay for the replacement without passing the hat in the form of a big special assessment?

The home inspection is a very important introduction to your new place. You'll not only learn whether or not the appliances all work, but what to do when one won't start because a breaker switch is flipped. If the toilet starts running and looks like it's going to overflow, where is the water cut off valve that will avoid a flood in your downstairs neighbor's apartment?

Buying a condo, especially if it's your first place, is a major life milestone. And your home inspector is an important part of the team to help you make it happen.

So important. A buyer needs to know if there may be a future structural update that may be required that owners could be assessed for. I recently had a client in Seattle who was facing the need to replace much of the windows in her Queen Anne Condo.

I am a bit surprised with the comments. May be it is so different in the rest of the world, but here the home inspector would not be allowed to the roof or to any other places except for the unit, where they really do not do much. They will be able to check the AC and tell you if the unit works properly, and they can pick small things, which, though important, are still very different from the scope of home inspection.

The problems with structure will not be revealed by inspectors, especially in the high-rise buildings. They are not structural engineers, and this is way beyond their scope.

You can get a better idea by reading the minutes of the Board meetings, especially if you can get several of them. In our area the minutes and the budget are supposed to be provided to Buyer.

Pat, all good points. A condo inspection has a lot of considerations that a house does not have and in some ways can cost you money even when nothing in particular is found inside the unit itself. A good inspector will give you a heads up on the kinds of issues that might result in future assessments.

Pat - sage advices for any buyer. ONe can just as easily uncover problems in a condo inspection as in a detached home, and depedning on the HOA it can be more complicated to get things taken care of. Some of the HOAs ought to be tarred and feathered for how they manage their properties. Unfortunately there are some things the inspectors cannot do in condo inspections so there are some enhanced risks for the buyers.

I just recently had clients withdraw an offer on a condo because the home inspection found structural damage in the bathroom. Two days later we put in an offer on another condo, aced the inspection and are on our way to closing. Think they thanked me for pushing the inspection? You bet!

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